Senate passes bill to curb $12M Child Services deficit

Child Protection Services head Jess Dickinson discusses his agency budget deficit and the plan to wipe it out.
Wochit

The Senate moved Tuesday to address a $12 million budget deficit at the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services, by approving a measure to bring the agency back under the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Senate Bill 2675 reverses the separation of the two agencies, which the state split two years ago in an effort to resolve the Olivia Y lawsuit which alleged that the state was failing to protect children in its foster care system.

That action, however, had unintended consequences.

Officials with CPS said the separation made it harder for the agency to secure federal funds.

And during a Jan. 9, 2018 Senate Appropriation Hearing, CPS Commissioner Jess H. Dickinson told lawmakers that the agency was facing a $38.9 million budget deficit.

Senate Appropriation Chair Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale, said the deficit — which was once projected to be as high as $52 million — has been reduced to $12 million.”

Several legislators have referred to the unintended consequences of the agencies separation, as an example, for the need to more thoroughly vet legislation.

“This bill is going to correct the colossal mistake we made last year by separating DHS and Child Protective Services?” asked Sen. Barbara Blackmon, D-Canton.

“It’s going to go a long way toward fixing that,” Clarke responded. “They all (CPS officials) believe this will take care of that. Making CPS a part of DHS again would allow the agency to draw down federal dollars.

Several senators questioned whether brining CPS back under DHS would violate the state’s settlement agreement.

Part of the agreement says the state would complete the creation and implementation of a fully functional child welfare agency, independent of, although housed within, DHS, no later than July 1, 2018.

Clarke said the legislation would not violate the settlement because CPS’ operations would remain independent.

The measure now heads to the House where it faces a Feb. 27 deadline to pass out of committee.